Shattered
by Jaiaelle
Summary: Two couples are left shattered after certain incidents...which will survive? Q/L, UC pairings. AU. DONE!
1. Shattered

**Yes, another story...I've been working on this, and on The Radio: A Different Take, for awhile. This one is a little more angsty. Hope you enjoy it!**

_Chapter One: Shattered_

They had begun their relationship intending for only a short lived fling. And yet, months later, they remained together still, in secret.

The second week of senior year she opened a discussion with him, addressing a topic for the first time, that could change everything.

"Logan, I want to tell. I'm sick of hiding this."

Appalled, he physically reeled back, his head brushing up against the flora that spilled into their hidden alcove. "Tell _people_? Quinn, we've talked about this..."

"Yes," she responded, sitting up straighter. "When we first started this, when we thought that we wouldn't last over a week, we talked about this. But it's been six months Logan! It's ridiculous to keep this a secret now, when it's obviously going somewhere." Her eyes bore into his. "You do think it's going somewhere, don't you?"

An eternity long pause existed between the two teens before Logan, swallowing, said, "Where is it going?"

"I'm not sure." Quinn's hands couldn't stay still in her lap. "But I think it's going somewhere." When he didn't respond, Quinn felt like her heart was bursting into a million pieces. "Fine, then we won't tell anyone. Because there will be nothing to tell." Without another word, she stood, leaving him alone in the shadows.

As he sat, thinking upon the past six months, he hated himself because of his stubbornness. To reveal his heart was asking too much and so he had remained silent.

Silent and shattered.

* * *

The kiss should've shaken both teens to the core, made them feel like they had never felt before, as it had in all their dreams. Instead, it was mediocre at best.

Tears in her eyes, she pulled back. "Chase..."

"I know." One of his hands closed over hers. "I'm not feeling anything either."

"So, what happens now?"

"I'm not sure." He desperately wanted to tell her that they should continue in the pursuit, feigning what they did not feel, but his conscience stopped him short. "We were best friends before. Perhaps we could be best friends again?"

Sighing, she looked at her hands, wishing that she could force herself to see fireworks while kissing him. "I'm not sure Chase. I'm not sure of anything."

One glance and they were separating, moving apart, leaving behind only shreds of a shattered dream.

**As usual, I ask for reviews - constructive criticism is always welcome! **


	2. Comfort

_Chapter Two: Comfort_

A miserable Chase fell onto the couch next to Lola, who was absorbed in the latest episode of some show. Her giggles were particularly agitating to him. At the commercial break, she finally noticed him.

"Oh hey Chase. What's up?"

"Nothing," he grunted, frustration evident in his voice.

"You okay?" One slim hand grabbed a handful of popcorn, shoving the massive amount into her mouth. "You sound, like, upset or something."

"No. I'm fine." He physically turned his body away from her in an effort to reveal just how little he wanted to talk at that moment.

"Alright," said Lola, turning her attention back to the show which had resumed.

"Okay, okay," Chase cried, spinning to face her. "Zoey and I decided to end things."

"End things?" Shocked, Lola's second handful of popcorn stopped halfway to her mouth. Her other hand found the remote and muted the television as she thought whatever Chase had to say would be far more interesting than the show. "You haven't even really started."

Chase sighed, glancing around the Student Lounge, just to make sure no one was lingering nearby, and replied, "We just decided it wasn't going to work between us."

Wondering why Chase wasn't talking to Michael about whatever had happened, and glad he wasn't, Lola scooted closer to him. "Why not?"

"I'll tell you but you've got to promise not to tell anyone else."

"I promise. Cross my heart, all that stuff." Her eyes lit up as she thought of being the first person to know the secret.

"We didn't feel anything when we kissed."

"Really? That's crazy. All those pent up emotions over all those years, and nothing?"

Chase nodded before speaking again. "I know. And, what's weirder, I don't think I ever really loved Zoey. I mean, I _loved_ her, love her, but...but not like, you know."

"Not like a girlfriend," Lola said, understanding in her voice. "Man, that sucks. What about Zo?"

"She didn't feel anything either. At least, that's what she told me."

Both paused, Chase hoping Zoey had been telling him the truth, and Lola digesting the information.

"So, what will happen to your friendship now?"

"That's what I'm afraid of. She's my best friend! I don't want to lose her." His sentences came out in a strangled voice and, as soon as he was done talking, he buried his head in his hands. Taking pity on him, Lola wrapped one arm around his shoulders, pulling him into an embrace.

Before she could say anything to further comfort him, a distraught looking Quinn entered the lounge. When she saw Chase in Lola's arms, she headed over, sitting on the other side of Lola. Tears were streaming down her face. Not bothering to ask what was wrong, because clearly the girl couldn't speak at the moment, Lola stretched out one arm, pulling Quinn into an embrace as well.

"Ah guys, you can always count on me for comfort."

**Please review - constructive criticism is always welcome - but no flames please!**


	3. Almost

**A reviewer alerted me to the fact that, while reading this story, it may not be clear how this fits into the Zoey 101 canon. SO this should clarify: This universe parallels the Zoey 101 universe up to and through Trading Places. After that, the situations change. What happened during that second semester of Junior year for the gang will, somewhat, be detailed in this fiction. Hope that helps! :-)**

_Chapter Three: Almost_

There was one person who Zoey knew she could rely on and immediately, upon leaving Chase, she headed to his room. She was glad that he was there, sitting on his bed. But she knew, with only a glance at his crestfallen face, that all was not right with him either.

"Michael, what's wrong?" she asked, forgetting her own woes at his possible hurt.

His eyes looked at her but they seemed to see right through her. "Lisa and I broke up."

At the mention of Lisa's name, Zoey felt a slight twinge of jealousy, as she always did. She had always blamed the jealousy on her own desire for a relationship. "What happened?" Once at his side, seated next to him on the bottom bunk, she took his hand.

"She met someone." He shrugged, as it implying that he didn't care, which Zoey knew was a lie. "It's okay, really."

"Not okay!" Furious with the girl for dumping the best boyfriend in the world, Zoey began berating Lisa in her head. "How could she meet someone greater than you?"

At the choked emotion in her voice, he lifted his gaze to meet hers. "Aren't you supposed to be on a date with Chase?"

"Oh, um, yeah. We were on a date but it ended."

"Ended?" His brow scrunched. "How come?"

"It was going okay, but it wasn't anything great. Then we kissed. And felt nothing."

Surprised, Michael's mouth fell open. "Let me get my jaw off the ground before I say 'What?!'"

Stifling a laugh, Zoey responded. "It's true."

"But all you talked about last semester was how when Chase got back from England everything would be perfect. You said you knew you loved him. Remember?"

"Of course I remember. I guess I was wrong."

A baffled Michael stood from the bed, beginning to pace back and forth. "But you and Chase are destiny. If you're not together...if you can't be happy, who can?"

Rising from her seat, Zoey stopped Michael's trek. "You're making a groove in the carpet Michael. Look, Chase and I will still be friends." A sad, unconvincing smile touched her lips. "I'll be happy, really I will. I just..."

"Thought it would be different?" A smile that matched hers plastered itself on his face. "I thought the same thing about Lisa. I thought it would last forever. Then along comes Vince."

"Vince Blake? Now it's my turn for a jaw drop. He's a total jerk."

"Lisa said he's changed." Michael turned his face away, eyes glistening.

Wishing hurt upon both Vince and Lisa, Zoey grabbed Michael's hand again. When he looked at her, she felt her heart flutter, which surprised her. She swallowed as he leaned in, his lips so close to hers. Before he could actually make contact, however, the door to the boy's dorm room was flung open. It crashed into the wall revealing a confused looking Logan standing in the doorway. "Wha..." he started to say, his eyes taking in Zoey and Michael in an intimate position. "Never mind. I don't even care." Then he climbed into his bed, burying his head in his pillow.

Zoey and Michael's eyes met before Michael moved away from her. Disappointed, Zoey gave Michael a shaky smile before making an excuse and bolting into the hallway.

But even when away from the situation, her heart wouldn't cease beating against her chest.

**Review? Please? How can I better improve this if you don't review?**


	4. Mystery

_Chapter Four: Mystery_

Despite hating his guts, Lola couldn't help but notice that something wasn't right with Logan. She decided to approach the subject on a day when Logan didn't eat lunch with the group, which, currently, seemed to be every day.

"Guys," she said, taking her seat. "I think something's wrong with Logan."

She didn't notice the worry in Quinn's eyes or an awkward Zoey who kept glancing from Chase to Michael.

When no one responded, Lola smacked the table, then winced, rubbing her now sore hand. "This is serious! I mean, I know that Logan is _the_ biggest jerk in the world but he's still our friend and he needs fixing. Hasn't anyone else noticed this?"

"Not really," responded Quinn, absent mindedly poking her food, while internally hoping that Lola would elaborate.

"No, I've been a bit preoccupied," said Zoey, stuffing a fork full of lettuce into her mouth.

"Me too," Michael and Chase replied in unison, which produced a guilty look in Michael's eyes, that was unseen by all but Zoey, who swallowed her own guilt with the lettuce.

"He's your roommate and you haven't noticed?" The incredulity in Lola's voice shamed the male occupants of the table. Shaking her head, Lola continued. "So here's an update: he's barely coming to class, I think he stopped showering, and he wears the same clothes day after day. Tell me that doesn't scream of a problem. I feel like I, kind of, miss the old Logan."

Quinn turned her head away from her friends so that the sheen of tears in her eyes couldn't be seen.

Zoey, Chase and Michael all, suddenly, looked concerned. "We have to figure out what's bugging him," Zoey finally said, after the shock over Logan's unusual behavior had somewhat subsided.

"That's what I was thinking. I say we follow him around."

Quinn swivelled her face back around so that she was facing Lola. "Spy on him? That's not right."

"It's the only way," Lola insisted.

"I think Lola's right," Michael interjected.

"Yeah," chimed in Chase. "Logan's not one to admit his feelings. So, we'll have to be a bit underhanded to figure out this mystery."

Obviously angry, Quinn stood. "Well count me out."

Shrugging as the girl walked off, Lola leaned forward, ready to lead Operation Fix Logan. "So, why don't Chase and I follow him after school for a few hours, then after us Michael and Zoey can."

Chase readily agreed, not quite sure yet how to handle his relationship with Zoey. Michael and Zoey, on the other hand, were both about to protest, when Lola grinned, pleased with the arrangements, and said, "Then it's all settled. Operation Fix Logan is commencing."

**A short chapter...and there will be some Quogan interaction soon enough...**


	5. Spy

_Chapter Five: Spy_

The sound of depressing emo music filtered out the open window reaching the ears of Chase and Lola who were crouched down, underneath the boys' dorm window.

"Tell me again why we can't be inside, right by the door of the room eavesdropping?" Chase asked, swatting a bee away.

"Because then it wouldn't be _spying_."

Figuring there was no point in arguing with her, since Lola's logic was always skewed, he settled down on the grass. "I can't hear anything but the music."

"But," responded Lola, bubbly. "The music tells us that he's upset!"

"Which we already knew." Chase arched an eyebrow at the brunette, chuckling at her deduction.

Pouting, Lola leaned against the building. "You don't need to laugh at me."

Feeling bad, Chase encircled her wrist with his fingers. "Sorry."

"Sure you're sorry. You're just like everyone else...you don't take me seriously." She crossed her slender arms over her chest, her bottom lip protruding even further.

"Yes I do!" he exclaimed, his fingers moving from her wrist to intertwine with her fingers. "The other day, when you held me in my grief, I took you seriously. You were there for me when I needed you. I haven't said thank you for that, by the way."

Something about the look in his eyes made her nervous. "You-your welcome," she stuttered.

They had been so engrossed in their own conversation that they didn't notice when Logan's music abruptly shut off.

"What are you guys doing?" said a voice above their heads.

They both strained their necks, turning their faces up, to see Logan staring down at him. Both of his eyebrows were raised.

"Um..." Lola looked at Chase. "We were..."

"You don't have to tell me." He directed his gaze to their still joined hands. "It's obvious." He leaned back in, shut the window, and started his music up again.

Lola and Chase immediately dropped hands, both blushing.

"Unh," muttered Chase. "I think it's Zoey and Michael's turn..."

* * *

Being so close to Zoey, breathing in her perfume, made Michael somewhat heady. He tried to keep his senses but found it nearly impossible.

"Look," said Zoey, pulling him out of his trance. "There he goes." They watched as Logan exited the library - the most unexpected of places for Logan to be - and got on his Jet X, speeding away. Zoey started up the engine to her own Jet X and followed him. Squished unto the seat behind her, Michael wrapped an arm around her waist, wondering how _Zoey_ could elicit such feelings in him.

Logan turned a corner and Zoey was quick to follow him. After taking the turn, Zoey came to a screeching halt, just in time to avoid crashing into Logan and his bike.

He was staring at them, a question in his eyes. "What is up with everyone today? First, Chase and Lola are making out under our dorm window, and now you guys are following me around?"

"Oh, we weren't following you," said Zoey quickly. "I was just going to drop Michael off at your dorm room. We were..."

"On a date!" Michael cried.

"A date?" Logan echoed, not looking entirely convinced. "Is everybody playing romantic musical chairs or something?"

"No. Zoey and I were on a...a friendship date."

Logan rolled his eyes, then started his Jet X up again. "Whatever. Just quit following me."

As soon as he was gone, Zoey faced Michael. "A friendship date? Is that the best you could come up with?"

"Hey, you weren't giving any explanations."

"I would've," she responded, lightly hitting him on the chest.

"Yeah right." He grabbed her hand before she could pull away, eyes on her full lips.

"Do you think Chase and Lola were really making out?" She bit her bottom lip, unsure of why she had stopped him from kissing her. It was, after all, what she wanted too.

"They were probably just spying and Logan gave us his spin on things, the way he always does." Frustrated, Michael hopped off of Zoey's Jet X. "I think our shift is over for the night."

As she watched him walk away, Zoey felt her own brand of frustration build. She started up her Jet X and drove into the night, wishing life weren't so complicated.


	6. Waiting

_Chapter Six: Waiting_

Face down on her bed, Quinn pretended that the last two weeks were only a nightmare. She imagined that she had never attempted to pressure Logan into revealing their couple status. She imagined that they were still together, that she was face down on her bed eagerly awaiting a text message from her boyfriend. Sighing, she turned over, eyes wide open. Existence within a fantasy would never change anything, however. She sat up, moved to gaze out the window, wondering what Logan was doing at that very moment. The silence of the room surrounded her, suffocated her, as memories threatened to tear her apart.

Once upon a time, she had been a girl trapped in a loveless relationship - while loveless on _his_ part. She had truly believed herself to be head over heels in love with Mark. She had thought he felt the same way. How wrong she had been. Mark had broken the news gently to her, that he had found another girl, and then broken up with her, after over three years of togetherness. All she had wanted to do was escape from reality. Instead, she had found strange consolation in Logan's arms. The two had barely been able to get along since the first day they met, yet he was the only one who seemed to understand her pain. The first time he kissed her, several days after she had originally come to him, she knew that their relationship would forever be altered. But she had thought, at the time, that he was only her rebound, that she would use him for a short time, just as she was sure he was using her, and move on. To her surprise, the relationship had lasted, albeit secretly, for months. Somewhere along the way, Quinn realized that she had never really been in love with Mark. She knew this to be true because of the way she felt about Logan - she loved him. And not like she had loved Mark.

But stubborn, as he was, she waited for him to come to her to revive the relationship.

* * *

Logan hated emo music but, at the moment, it seemed to fit how he felt. The lyrics and accompanying music washed over him, making him feel his sorrow deeply.

His Quinn was not his anymore.

The funny thing about the whole situation was that he had never wanted to keep it secret. It was she who had insisted, outlining the reasons again and again. He had never protested, going along with whatever she had said, content to simply be with her. He knew that he loved her after the first month but he had never allowed it to show because he was Logan, after all. Instead, he buried it within, not even finding the words as he watched her exit his life. Part of him, that arrogant side that still existed, told him that she would come crawling back.

He didn't believe that side.

Quinn, his Quinn, was too smart to come back to _him_. She would move on and he knew that, if he really did love her, he would let her. Because she was better off without him in her life.

And he - he would continue to wither away inside, until finally his heart died.

Little did he know that she was waiting, her own heart suffering a similar fate.


	7. Kismet

_Chapter Six: Kismet_

"I give up!" cried a distraught Lola, falling onto the couch in the Student Lounge. She propped her feet up on the table directly in front of the couch and protruded her bottom lip to form a pout.

Chase plopped next to her, eyes on her face, thinking how cute she looked. "Don't say that. It's only been a couple of weeks since we began Operation Fix Logan."

"Yeah," she whined. "But we haven't figured anything out yet, and Zoey and Michael decided that they wanted out."

Shocked, Chase tilted his head and squinted his eyes at her. "Why?"

"I don't know." She crossed her arms over her chest and raised watery eyes to him. "But they really disappoint me."

Wanting to comfort, and see that beautiful smile on her face, he scooted closer to her, grabbing one of her hands with his. "Well, I'm not out Lola. I'm in until we solve the complex equation that is Logan."

A smile brightened her eyes. "Chase, you're the best!" Impulsively, she leaned in, closing the little space between them, and wrapped both arms around him in a tight hug. As soon as she did, he felt warmth spreading throughout his body. Confused, he pulled away.

"I, unh..." he stammered, unsure of how to handle the situation.

Lola, however, spared him of whatever dumb statement might exit his mouth. Cheeks flushed and eyes glowing, she said, quietly, "Do you want to go spy on Logan right now?"

Not trusting himself with words, Chase simply nodded, then allowed her to lead out of the Student Lounge.

Internally, he questioned the change that was occurring inside of him towards the girl he had always viewed as friend. He wondered if, possibly, she could be more than just friend, and he wondered, as well, what her thoughts were as they headed to their "spying" spot under the boys' dorm window...

* * *

By chance, she happened to be walking down the path towards the library just as he was coming up it. Neither was paying attention to where they were stepping and so it was inevitable that they ran into each other. Literally.

Perhaps it was fate that sent her sprawling to the ground, papers flying from her hands to litter the cement pathway. When she lifted her eyes to meet his, she was sure that indeed destiny had played a hand.

"Logan," she breathed, heart pounding inside.

"Quinn," he said, sounding as out of breath as she. "Let me, unh..." He trailed off but began gathering her strewn about papers. "Here," he told her, shoving the papers into her shaking hands.

"Logan, do you believe that things happen for a reason?" she asked, drawing near to him.

"Huh?" The befuddled expression on his face endeared him to her.

"I mean, here we are...coincidentally?" She shook her head, hair swinging side to side. "I don't believe it."

She watched as he processed what she was saying, the look in his eyes revealing to her that he was thinking about it. "So, you think that something brought us together, here, tonight, to run into each other?"

Afraid that he would reject her idea, but hoping with all her heart that he wouldn't, she nodded her head.

"I think..." He paused for a moment, which felt like an eternity to her. "I think it sounds lame. What, kismet or whatever? I highly doubt it."

Simultaneously impressed at his knowledge of such a word and hurt by his denial of that very word, she stood, impassive. "But..." _Screw everything_, she thought. "Logan, maybe you're right. Still, I'm going to take advantage of this situation to tell you that I was wrong. About telling other people. I don't care anymore. I just want to be with you." Emotions swelled in her chest and tears stung her eyes but she managed to control them from spilling forth.

If he was feeling any similar emotions, he too kept them carefully guarded. "Really?" If she had judged by the sound of his voice, she would've guessed he didn't care.

"Yes. Logan I...I...I miss you."

* * *

The sound of something large crashing into the wall inside caused both Lola and Chase, who were focusing on trying not to feel awkward, to crane their necks to gaze at the boys' dorm window.

"What the..." Chase muttered, rising to his feet to get a better view.

Lola followed in his example, bringing her eye level to above the window ledge. What she saw stunned her - and cemented her belief that Logan was dealing with some serious issues.

He didn't see them at first. But they saw him, chest heaving, laptop damaged, laying on Chase's single bed. The wall above the bed had been pushed in, wood splintering out, from the impact. The crazed look in Logan's eyes frightened them both. Each had seen Logan lose his cool but never had either one seen him appear so...feral.

When he did notice them, his eyes hardened. "Spying on me again?" he said in an almost growl.

"Um, no man." Chase ran one nervous hand through his bushy hair. "We were..." He glanced at Lola, who met his eyes with trepidation.

A thought occurred to her, which may not have been the brightest, but she followed through with it anyway. Licking her lips, she put one hand on each side of his face, noting his widened eyes as she did. In two seconds, she had her lips pressed to his in a, surprisingly, passionate kiss.

To describe what either felt would have been extremely difficult but feel they did. Every pore exploded with the feeling that neither one knew had existed.

When they pulled back, stomachs full of butterflies, both breathing deeply, they weren't sure what to do next. They decided to look into the room, to see Logan's reaction.

He was gone.

* * *

Alone on the beach, Logan did what he hadn't since a child.

He cried.

Sobbed, really.

Because when Quinn had said she missed him he had desperately wanted to tell her how much he missed her too. Instead, he had told her it was too bad she missed him because he had moved on. He had a date on Friday night. Then, he watched as she sped away, tears falling from her beautiful eyes.

He pushed her away knowing that it was the right thing to do - she was much better off without him.

And so he was alone, on a beach, heart still shattered.

**I just wanted to say thanks to those who have been reviewing this story...your reviews mean a lot to me!**


	8. Strange

_Chapter Seven: Strange_

After walking around campus aimlessly for hours, Lola headed back to her room, heart still beating rapidly, mind still focused on the kiss she had shared with Chase. Immediately after, Chase, worried about his roommate, had gone off in search of him, saying nothing to Lola regarding their moment. Discouraged, she had tried to find solace in anything on the school's fairly small campus but had found none. It was late when she finally made her way to her room. Inside, she found Zoey rubbing Quinn's back while Quinn had her face smashed against her pillow, glasses laying on the small table next to her bed. An occasional sniffle was heard but, other than that, Quinn's tears were silent. When Zoey saw her, she stood and, back to Quinn, said quietly, "I think we've been so focused on Logan's behavior we haven't been paying attention to Quinn. She's been crying for hours now!"

Shocked, Lola glanced over Zoey's shoulder at Quinn. "Again?"

"What do you mean again?"

In hushed tones, Lola told Zoey about several weeks earlier. "I was sitting in the Student Lounge with...um, I was sitting there, when she walked in, crying. Later, she told me she was just homesick."

Zoey cast a look over her shoulder before meeting Lola's eyes again. "I don't think it's just homesickness."

"Wouldn't seem that way," Lola murmured. "What is up with our friends?"

"Yeah, something strange is going on..."

Both girls, thinking beyond the strangeness surrounding Logan and Quinn to their own equally strange situations, averted their eyes.

"Um," whispered Lola. "I think I'll go get some ice cream. That always helps when I feel depressed."

"Good idea. I'll stay here with Quinn."

Debating in her mind about what ice cream flavor to buy kept her thoughts from flying towards more dangerous ones - at least for the present.

* * *

Instead of finding Logan, Chase found Michael, sitting on his Jet-X, staring into space.

"Hey man," said Chase, clapping a hand down on Michael's shoulder.

"Wh-what?" Michael stuttered, coming out of his daze. "I was not thinking about - oh." He stopped, meeting Chase's eyes.

"Are you okay? I don't want to worry about two friends."

"I'm fine," Michael lied. "And what do you mean two friends?"

"Logan seriously damaged the wall above my bed, as well as his laptop, when he threw said laptop into said wall."

"Really? Why did he do that?"

"I don't know but I'm very curious to find out. Want to help me look for him?"

Trying to feel worried about Logan, but finding it impossible, Michael shook his head yes, only capitulating because if he didn't help Chase he would feel like a jerk. He was sure Logan had just had an outburst about something, like always. And he wasn't thoroughly convinced that Lola's theory about the boy was correct. Or, maybe, it had been, but it wasn't anymore. Logan was, after all, showering on a regular basis again and he even had a date with Mandy Franklin on Friday night. Chase mounted the Jet-X, behind Michael, then said "Tally ho!" Chuckling at his best friend's weirdness, Michael started the Jet-X and drove into the night.

Hours later, there was still no sign of Logan, but Chase and Michael were having a good time. However, with every bonding minute, Michael felt guiltier and guiltier as he thought about his numerous daydreams of kissing Zoey. He doubted Chase's non-feelings toward Zoey, not being able to believe that all of Chase's love could disappear, basically, over night.

Michael parked the Jet-X and flopped down onto the grass under a tree. Chase copied him, stretching out on his back.

"Getting late," Chase muttered. "Curfew's coming up."

"Eh, we have 45 minutes," Michael replied, checking his watch. "So," he went, broaching the subject previously in his thoughts. "What's up with you and Zoey? I mean, you haven't mentioned her that much."

"Oh," Chase replied, frowning. "I haven't been thinking about Zoey lately. I mean, when I see her I think about her."

"You're really over her then?"

"I know how it sounds Michael. I went on and on about how much I loved her, and now I claim that all those statements were false. Well, maybe they weren't exactly false. I sincerely thought that I was totally in love with her. A guy can be wrong though."

Blowing out a breath, in relief, Michael nodded in understanding. "Yeah, I know what you mean. I thought I loved Lisa too."

"I can't really wrap my mind around her with Vince. It's too...strange."

The image of his ex-girlfriend embracing her current sweetheart flashed in his mind, not causing even a hint of pain. "Maybe." He paused, remembering the accusations Lisa had flung at him while breaking off their almost two year relationship, accusations that were, perhaps, not so off base. "I don't feel all that bad about it though. I think I'm over her."

"Good." Chase yawned, eyelids drooping. "I'm tired. What do you say we go back to the room? Logan has probably been back there for awhile anyway."

"Sure," responded Michael, deftly climbing on his Jet-X. He waited until Chase was on before starting and steering the vehicle back to the room they called home.

When they got back to the room, Logan wasn't there. He didn't return until the morning, grabbing a towel and heading to the showers, not even offering his roommates an explanation of where he had been.

They didn't notice the red in his eyes or the sand in his hair.

Logan staying out all night, something that had never happened before, changed Michael's mind about Logan and about Lola's theory - something strange was certainly going on.


	9. Date

**I just realized that I posted two chapters as chapter six. Chapter Six is Waiting, while Chapter _Seven_ is Kismet, making the last chapter number eight and this chapter nine. Okay. That was bothering me. Please, read and review!**

_Chapter Nine: Date_

Zoey had never meant to fall for her best friend's best friend. And yet, oddly enough, that's exactly what she had done. As she sat at the computer, blanking staring at his myspace page, her mind wandered back to the day after her webdate with Chase. Michael had been there, arms ready to comfort her with a hug, fingers nimbly wiping away her tears. Throughout the long semester, he would sit with her for hours as they discussed everything and nothing at all. Sighing, she clicked on his picture, which opened the screen to more. Near the bottom of one age were a few of him and her, laughing, her in red prom dress, he in his penguin suit, as he called it. Lisa had taken the pictures, an undecipherable look on her face as each picture was captured on Michael's small camera. Frowning at the memory, Zoey wondered if Lisa had known then what Zoey had been oblivious to. Another sigh blew through Zoey's lips as she exited the website, turning in the computer chair to take in Quinn's prone figure on the bed. She hadn't moved since Wednesday, after her bout of crying, telling her roommates that she was just "homesick", which they didn't believe at all. Friday evening was approaching, as the sun began to set on the afternoon, and Zoey was more than a little tempted to wake her roommate and force her have a night of fun. She was sure that it would be good for both of them. Picking up her phone, she decided to call Lola first and invite her.

The phone rang once, twice, then Lola picked up, hissing in a whisper, "I'm in the library Zo!"

"Well, how was I supposed to know that?"

"I guess you couldn't. So anyway, what's up?"

Zoey noted the guarded tone in her friend's voice, which she had been noticing in Lola's voice often of late, but chose not to inquire about it. "I was thinking that you, Quinn, and I should have a girl's night or something. I mean, she's been sleeping off and on for like two days straight! I think it would help her to feel less depressed."

"Ummm...I don't know..."

Annoyed at Lola's hesitancy, Zoey snapped into the phone. "It's for Quinn, Lola. Stop being so selfish!" Shocked at her outburst, Zoey immediately said, more quietly, "Sorry Lola. You've been there for Quinn these last couple of days and that was uncalled for."

"It's okay Zo," responded Lola, voice strained. "We've all been a little...tense lately."

"If you don't want to come, it's okay. But...I have to ask, why are you in the library anyway?"

"Oh, Logan's here. Did you know he comes here nearly every day? Isn't that weird? I mean, I've never seen Logan so involved in his studies before."

"It is weird," Zoey agreed, glancing at her still sleeping roommate. "But doesn't he have a date tonight?"

Quinn moved a little at Zoey's last words and Zoey turned towards, in case she woke up and needed something.

"Um, yeah. I guess the date is later. Oh - he's moving! I'll talk to you later Zo!"

Without another word, Lola shut her phone, ending the call.

"Zoey?" Quinn's voice came out hoarse, as if she hadn't talked for days.

"I'm right here Quinn," Zoey told her soothingly, kneeling beside the bed.

Quinn turned bloodshot eyes toward her, dark circles, despite all the sleep, under her eyes. "What time is it?"

Zoey glanced at the clock before answering. "Almost five. Are you hungry?"

"No. I just want to go back to sleep."

Grabbing Quinn's shoulders, to prevent her from slipping back into whatever nightmare world she had been existing in for the last two days, and shaking, Zoey said, in a rather shrill voice, "You cannot got back to sleep. You and I are getting out of this room! Right now!"

Stunned, and looking quite dazed, Quinn complied without complaint, standing on wobbly legs. "Okay Zoey, if you insist."

* * *

Mandy Franklin was hot. Most guys at PCA would've given anything to be in Logan's shoes - and, to be honest, most guys had. Mandy Franklin was not the type of girl to turn down a date. Shuffling alongside her, as they headed toward Sushi Rox, Logan couldn't help but feel that, though she was hot, she was lacking in certain qualities. Like intelligence. And creativity. And brown hair, brown eyes, black rimmed glasses. She wasn't Quinn.

But, he told himself, that is the point, is it not?

They entered Sushi Rox, sat down at a table near the back. Facing her made it that much more obvious that she wasn't Quinn. Wide blue eyes, pretending to be innocent, gazed at him, eyelashes fluttering. He had to hold back at a groan at her overly coquettish behavior.

"So, Logan, what do you want do _after_ dinner?"

Clearly she was expecting him to use his former patented remark of "Wanna go make out?" He had used it a time or two on Quinn, while they had been dating, and she had never turned him down. Almost every other girl on campus, except for Mandy Franklin, had repeatedly rejected him. He wasn't quite the ladies' man that he imagined himself to be.

"I don't know," he mumbled.

"I can think of something," she said, grabbing one of his hands with hers.

And that was all Logan could take. He stood, yanking his hand free from her grasp. "This was a bad idea."

The now familiar pain, that hadn't subsided for almost five weeks, made his heart feel like not only millions of shards but millions of _bleeding_ shards.

"I have to go."

He left the red head sitting at the table, ignoring her cries of annoyance. As he spun around he saw, out of the corner of his eye, Lola trying to hide her face with a menu. He stalked over to her table, grabbed the menu, and threw it down to the ground. "STOP. SPYING. ON. ME." he yelled, drawing the attention from other patrons.

Cowering in her chair, Lola simply nodded.

Internally shaking, he turned to leave the restaurant, hand on the door to push it out, when it opened, revealing Zoey...and Quinn.

She looked awful, horrible, wretched. Logan's heart wrenched inside of him to see her in such a state and he cursed himself for wanting what was best for her. He longed to set aside his stupid resolution and tell her that he...that he... No, he wouldn't even think it. He walked past her, his shoulder barely touching hers, an action that was reminiscent of a time in their past, when she had been the geeky science girl only. Then, she had bumped her shoulder against his in a play of dominance. Last semester, the two had laughed about it. As he walked away, Logan came to believe that he would never be able to laugh again.


	10. Moment

_Chapter Nine: Moment_

Wanting to quell the nervous feelings fluttering around in her stomach, Zoey paced back and forth, swallowing repeatedly, checking the path ahead. In a moment, a face she knew well came around the bend - but it wasn't the one she had been expecting. When he saw her, a smile broke out on his face.

"Hey Zoey!"

"Hey Chase," she responded, reflecting his smile back to him.

"What's up?"

"Oh, I was just..." Someone was coming. Eagerly, she glanced over Chase's shoulder but, no, it wasn't him either. "Unh, waiting for someone."

A bemused expression arrested his features. "Ah, I see."

"Um, but Chase, now that you're here, I want to ask you something."

"Okay. Go ahead." One eyebrow rose in anticipation.

"Well, I...I was just curious how you would feel if I...if I dated someone?" She braced herself for his reaction, not quite sure what to expect.

When he laughed, joyous peals outpouring from his mouth, she couldn't help but laugh too, even though she wasn't quite sure why. "Zoey, it's really nice of you to ask," he said, the laughter subsiding. "I would be happy if you dated someone."

"Really?" she asked, hope in her eyes. "Because I just don't want...a chasm between us. I miss you as it is already."

"Ah, Zo, I miss you too." In move, he had his arms wrapped around her, hugging her in the way that only he could. "I'm sorry I've been so distant. I've been preoccupied with..." He stopped, cleared his throat.

"With what?" Zoey asked, pulling back. "A girl?" Merriment danced in her brown eyes. "Tell me about her!" she demanded.

"You know her well," he told her sheepishly, toeing the ground with his Converse.

"Is it Lola?" Zoey guessed, thinking that is must be, as Chase and Lola had been spending so much time together spying on Logan.

"Wow. You got it." Rocking on the balls of his feet, he grinned at her. "And you? You like someone too? Someone you want to date?"

"Yeah. But I'm not sure if he likes me..." She trailed off, her mind screaming that he did, that his actions proved it, but she ignored the voice.

"What's his name? I'll find out."

"Michael."

"Michael? As in our Michael?"

When she nodded, he found he couldn't speak. "Well...that's great! You and Michael! You know, he used to talk about you all the time when he called me while I was in England. Come to think of it, you talked about him a great deal too."

Shrugging and grinning, for the whole situation was just too wonderful, she said, "I think I started to like him then, I just didn't know it."

"Zoey, this is so awesome! We can be friends again and we've found others to love!" He pulled her in for another hug, unaware that a set of eyes was fixed on them. The set of eyes turned green with jealousy as she watched, misinterpreting the scene unfolding before her.

"That...that...ugh!" she seethed, marching off to another part of campus.

Before he could release her from the hug, another set of arms wound around both of them, lifting the pair off the ground. Zoey and Chase both burst out laughing, Michael's baritone laugh mingling with theirs. "I love hugging," Michael said, setting them both down on the ground.

Zoey, pleased that he had met her there, as she had requested, grinned up at him. "Hi Michael," she said, shyly. The tone in her voice caused his heartbeat to increase slightly.

Chase, understanding his friend's need for a moment alone, said a quick goodbye, then jogged off.

Alone on the path, the two friend's gazed into each other's eyes. Finally, he spoke. "Hi Zoey."

She giggled at his delayed greeting. "Michael, you are...so..." The words caught in her throat, as she was overcome by the emotion flooding her being.

"I know," he said, in a cocky way. "Aren't I?"

She giggled again, elation spilling forth.

Not being able to stand it any longer, Michael placed one hand on the side of her lovely face, letting his thumb stroke the apple of her cheek. Her giggling subsided and a more serious look appeared in her eyes. He was sure his eyes matched hers. Swallowing, he said, voice hoarse, "You are amazing Zoey. I...love you. Lisa told me that I did. That was one of the reasons she broke up with me. It's taken me these last five and half weeks to realize that she was right."

A single tear slipped out of Zoey's eye and made a short trail to his thumb. It hit his thumb, riding the curve, and falling from there to the ground. "I love you too Michael," she whispered, afraid the moment might not be real.

He moved his body closer to hers, lessening the gap between them. He kept his eyes locked onto hers until the very last second, when he dipped his head and touched his lips to hers. At the soft impact, he felt her inhale deeply. When she responded to his kiss, he inhaled also.

When they pulled apart, he, unwilling to relinquish the moment, pressed his forehead to hers, grabbing both of her smooth hands with his.

"So, want to be my girlfriend?"

Laughing, but not moving from her position, she replied, "Yeah Michael, I think I'd like that."

**Finally, some happiness. More to come...hopefully...**


	11. Talk

**It's only been forever since I last updated this - but here it is, finally. Not having the show on as inspiration makes it difficult. I suppose I should watch some episodes for that inspiration. Okay, enough blather - here is chapter 11! Please review!**

_Chapter Eleven: Talk_

Shouts of "Hi" and "What's up?" greeted the ears of the girl as she entered the Student Lounge but she ignored each one, lost in her own world. She strode to the couch, dropping onto it's soft cushions once she reached it. Minutes passed in which she, occasionally, flipped her phone open to glance at the time. Puffing her lips out in a big sigh, she crossed, then un-crossed, then crossed her arms again. Before she could open her phone once more, a boy entered the Student Lounge, coming in through the doors that were across from the couch.

"Lola," he said, excitement in his voice. "I'm glad you're here."

She tossed her hair at him, letting her gaze travel out the window. "Well, Chase, I had nothing better to do."

The wide grin on his face faltered as he approached her. He looked almost completely deflated as he sat on the couch while she kept her eyes focused away from him. "Ohhhkay. I, um, have to talk to you about something..."

"Yes. You said that on the phone." She turned her head ever so slightly so that he was looking at her profile. "But you don't need to tell me. I already know."

At her words, his heart sunk in his chest. She knew? And she was behaving like she was...because she wanted him to get a clue? A lump formed in his throat but he managed to push some words out anyway. "You do?"

Finally, she turned her eyes to him. They were wide and watery, showing vulnerability. Her bottom lip trembled as she tried to form the words. _Lola,_ she chastised herself. _Get a grip. _"I saw you with Zoey."

"You...did?" Confused, Chase tilted his head at an angle and squinted his eyes. "Saw us...earlier today? We were talking a few hours ago..."

She bit her top lip, holding her tears at bay. "And hugging..." She trailed off, dropping her line of vision to her hands. She clenched her fingers tightly into fists on her lap, waiting for him to speak.

"Hugging?" For a moment Chase didn't understand. Then realization dawned on him. "You thought...you thought that Zoey and I were hugging because...because..." He let out a hoot of laughter, not finishing his thought.

Her head shot up, eyes glaring at him. "What's so funny?" she asked.

"Zoey and I talked about some stuff, then hugged. That's all." Impulsively, he reached out, grasping her hands with his. "We confirmed our friendship. And admitted to liking other people."

Her jaw slackened at his words. "Other people?" she squeaked.

"Yes," he chuckled. "Other people." He released one of her hands and brought his thumb to her chin, right under her lips. It softly, and cautiously, grazed her still trembling bottom lip. "You know Lola, you're beautiful."

Words seemed impossible for Lola so she only nodded, eyes locked on to his.

"I, unh, don't know exactly how I feel about you but I'm not going to wait years to find out." The volume of his voice dropped to an almost whisper. "At least, not this time."

A small smile played on her lips. "Glad to hear that Chase. Now just kiss me!"

Without allowing him to answer, she grabbed the front of his shirt with her free hand and crashed his lips to hers. After a minute they both pulled back, radiantly smiling. She turned her body, pressing her back against his chest, taking his arms and wrapping them around her. "Can we just stay like this for awhile?" she murmured, closing her eyes and letting her head rest on his shoulder.

"Oh, we can stay like this forever," he responded, breathing in her scent.

From not far away, Quinn watched them, confusion etched on her features. Only moments earlier, she had spotted Zoey and Michael walking hand in hand. Now, Lola was contentedly wrapped in Chase's arms.

Yet even in the upside down world, Quinn was still alone. Alone, heartbroken.

Shattered.

As she continued to gaze at the newly formed couple, every piece of her shattered heart ached in pain for a pair of arms to encircle her. But not just any arms. _His_ arms.

He had made it clear that that was not what he wanted, told her he was beyond over her. The occurrence of the night not so long ago, when Logan had stormed out on his date, made her wonder. Mandy Franklin spreading the events of the date all over campus made her hope.

Deciding not to waste a minute more, she hopped out of her chair and headed out of the Student Lounge. Kismet wasn't playing it's hand; this time, Quinn would take matters into her _own_ hands.

* * *

Attempting to read, Logan ignored the pointed stares from the two girls who had just entered the library. They giggled behind their hands as they passed by, obviously amused at his failed date from the other night. Gritting his teeth, he focused at the words on the page. Finally, he shut the book, pushing it aside. History was boring. He grabbed another textbook, pulling it towards him. A chuckle exited his lips as he thought of the only positive aspect of breaking up with Quinn: his grades had improved. Instead of reading the book, he let his gaze sweep the library, from the high vaulted ceilings to the over stuffed bookshelves. The whole place reminded him of Quinn.

His Quinn.

_She's _not _your's anymore, _he told himself.

He had messed it all up, by first being silent, then by being stubborn, and finally by being stupid. He closed his eyes and wished, with every jagged, bleeding piece of his shattered heart, that she would find someone worthy enough, someone very different from him. When he opened his eyes, he was shocked to see her sitting there, eyes on him.

"We need to talk," she said in an even tone, face betraying nothing.

"Sure, whatever," he responded, pretending as if he didn't care.

"No!" she yelled, slamming her palm against the table. "Stop acting as if you don't care. Because I know that you do."

By this time, most of the patrons of the library were staring at them. "Unh, Quinn..."

"Let them stare," she whispered. Her eyes narrowed to slits.

Gulping, he offered her a shaky smile. "Okay. Let's...talk. We can go to my room, if you want."

"Fine," she responded, standing. "Let's go."

Gathering his stuff, quickly, he followed her out of the library, wondering how he would manage to yet again keep his true feelings inside - and manage to keep the slivers of his heart from shattering further.


	12. Solved

**I would like to apologize for any errors this story may have. I was re-reading portions of this story and noticed some mistakes. I do edit these pieces but, perhaps, not as thoroughly as I should. Okay, so here is the next to last chapter of this story. Read and review please!**

Logan sat on the couch in his room, watching Quinn pace in front of the boy's large screen TV, occasional mutterings exiting her mouth. He had stopped trying to make sense of them minutes ago. Instead, he tried to muster up the strength to ford of the emotions that threatened to expose the truth to her. _Be strong,_ he told himself.

Finally, Quinn stopped, standing with her hands on her hips. Her cheeks were flushed more than normal and her eyes flashed at him. He would be lying if said he didn't find her extremely attractive at the moment.

"I'm losing my mind," she said to him.

"Obviously," he said, leaning back into the couch, infusing the regular "Logan" tone into his voice.

"Stop it!" she yelled, taking a step toward him.

Even though the table was in the way of her getting to him, he flinched. "Take it easy Quinn."

"Don't tell me to take it easy! These last weeks have been torture. Torture!" When tears filled her beautiful eyes, he grew shaky. "And I know they haven't been easy for you either. Please. Be honest with me."

Her pleading tone struck a chord with him but he still refused to speak. Or maybe he couldn't speak simply because of the giant lump in his throat.

"Say something Logan. Anything."

He opened his mouth, eyes fixed on hers. "I…don't like Mandy Franklin."

"Wh-what?" she sputtered, clearly confused.

"I don't like Mandy Franklin because…because she's not…" _You,_ he thought.

When he paused, she moved around the table and sat down on the couch next to him. He hated her being so close to him, so close that he could almost feel her body heat radiating towards him. "She's not what Logan?"

He turned his head just enough to meet her eyes. When their eyes met, he knew she saw everything. "We can't…I mean…I…" He tried to tell her that it wouldn't work but stumbled over the words.

"I love you Logan."

His eyes snapped to meet hers once more. Somehow, he had expected that the first time a girl said those words to him would be more…dramatic…or something. "You love me?"

"Yes," she told him, reaching for his hand, her eyes shining. "I love you so much. And these last several weeks my heart has been positively shattered into the smallest shards."

That she had felt such pain caused him even more pain than he had been experiencing lately. "Me…too."

A shaky smile touched her ruby lips. "Your heart was broken too?"

"Yes." The wretchedness of their time apart seemed to flood him in that moment. "I was such an idiot. I was stubborn and stupid. I thought you would be better off without me, so I pushed you away."

At his words, she drew back, her bottom lip dropping. "You…thought…what?" He looked at her sheepishly, not bothering to answer. Her eyes narrowed and she brought a hand up. When it slapped across his cheek, he was shocked.

"Quinn, what the-"

"How dare you think that!" she yelled, once more enraged.

"I'm sorry."

"I was hurting, Logan. How could you?"

"I already told you - I'm an idiot."

Her eyes closed, then opened again. They focused on the fast forming red hand mark on his cheek. Slender white fingers lifted up to graze the spot. "Sorry."

"Hey, I deserved it." Before she could withdraw the hand, he placed his over it. "This has been such a mess."

"You can say that again." Her gaze softened as he leaned in. She closed her eyes and waited for his lips to touch hers. When they didn't, her eyelids fluttered open. "Logan?" she inquired, noticing the thoughtful look on his face.

"Come on Quinn, there's something we need to do."

Moments later, they were sneaking past Dean River's secretary into his office.

"What's going on Logan?" she hissed into his ear.

He held up a finger, dragging her along behind him, right up to the Dean's desk. Once there, he touched the button that turned the intercom on. The intercom was connected to speakers located all over the school.

Eyes wide, she turned her head to him. 'What are you doing?' she mouthed.

He smiled at her, pulling her closer to him. "Hello students of PCA. This is Logan Reese, standing in Dean River's office, with my arm around the most beautiful girl on this campus. Her name is Quinn Pensky. Yes, you heard me right. And no, this is not a practical joke. Quinn and I were dating for the majority of last semester, in secret. The last few weeks have been hell on earth because I was an idiot. Anyway, you don't want to know the details. Just listen to the ending: we're together again. And in love. Yes, I, Logan Reese, love Quinn Pensky." His speech ended there and he touched the intercom button, shutting it off. He eagerly awaited her reaction.

She grabbed his upper arms, spinning him toward her. Her eyes were moist and a smile lit up her face. "Logan, that was…"

"I know." He grinned at her, that cocky grin that had been rather absent lately.

"Everyone will be completely shocked."

"Who cares?"

Her smile grew as she leaned, placing her forehead against his cheek. "I love you," she whispered.

"I love you too."

She removed her forehead from his cheek and pressed her lips to his, gently. He placed his hand on the small of her back and kissed her back deeply.

The pain of the last several weeks were washed away in the purity of the kiss, were stripped away as they remained locked in each other's arms.

Across campus, students looked at each other confused.

One such student, who was sitting in the Student Lounge, her new boyfriend's arms wrapped around her, smiled. "I guess the mystery has been solved."

"Quinn and Logan?" he boyfriend murmured into her hair. "Who would've guessed?"


	13. Whole

**At long last, it is here. The last chapter of Shattered. Ironically, chapter 13. However, I do not think it is unlucky (though it is short). I don't know. What do you think?**

_Chapter Thirteen: Whole_

The end of the semester was fast approaching, which was disappointing for many reasons. The first and most important of the reasons was the slender girl who was wrapped in his arms.

A smile touched his lips and he tightened his arms, pulling her closer, as if that was possible.

Next to them, on the couch in the Student Lounge, Michael sat, a dreamy look in his eyes, Zoey in his lap.

Chase and Lola were occupying the nearby chair, absorbed not in the movie playing on the TV but on each other.

Really, the only person who was paying attention to the movie at all was Quinn, who sat focused and silent on the comic book movie that Michael and Chase had picked to watch. When a soft snore reached his ears, he realized she wasn't so interested in the movie but was, rather, asleep.

Chuckling, he moved her back, cradling her head in his arms, so that he could stare at her peacefully sleeping face. He brought his lips to her forehead and, gently, brushed a kiss against her smooth, white skin. At the touch, she adjusted herself but didn't awaken. Tears of joy welled in his eyes involuntarily and he glanced around, while settling Quinn against his chest again, to make sure that his friends hadn't noticed the sheen. Didn't want them to think he was a girl.

"Logan?"

At the sound of her beautiful voice, he smiled again. How he loved her.

"Yeah babe?"

"Love you," she murmured, not fully awake.

"You too," he whispered, dropping another kiss to the crown of her head.

On second thought, he didn't care if his friends called him a girl.

Because he was happy with Quinn and didn't care if the whole world knew it.

In that moment, where everything seemed so serene, he felt the last small shards of his heart rejoin to the rest of it.

At long last, he was whole.


End file.
